Evergreen memories in the presence of an inspirational Iranganie
The brochure from 1976
Under a night sky and the moving shadows cast by the leafy garden of the Barefoot Cafe, longtime members and supporters of Ruk Rakaganno gathered on June 5 for a celebration of the society’s 50-year journey of conservation. Listening to the throb of Ravibandu’s drums and watching the wondrous scenes of this island captured by Dominic Sansoni, it was an evening of warm memories, illuminated by the presence of their patron and founder member, the legendary actress and environmental activist, Iranganie Serasinghe.
Iranganie’s presence was inspirational, a compelling reminder of what Ruk Rakaganno had stood for this past 50 years. Dates are hazy, records hard to trace but memories of the government sanctioned logging of trees in the Sinharaja rainforest that was the genesis of Ruk Rakaganno cannot be forgotten. This ill-conceived move shocked all nature lovers and organizations like the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS), and the likes of Thilo Hoffman and Iranganie began campaigning to save this precious natural heritage for generations to come. In an interview with the Sunday Times last year, Iranganie recalled using all her connections to meet with and lobby the high officials of the day. It was finally President J.R. Jayewardene, who called a halt to the project in 1978.
A brochure bearing the distinctive tree logo designed by Laki Senanayake dating back to 1976, when Lyn de Alwis was President and Iranganie was Secretary reveals the early vision that guided Ruk Rakaganno.
To create an awareness and understanding among people of the value of trees and the place they occupy in the natural environment.
To strive for the protection of indigenous forests and trees wherever desirable and thereby to protect the environment
To plant and encourage the planting of trees wherever possible
Those first meetings were more informal gatherings of like-minded friends and among those early crusaders was Nihal Fernando, Wijesoma, Dr. Chris Panabokke, Arthur Weerakoon, Prof. Osmund Jayaratne, Laki Senanayake, Dr. T.S.U. de Zylva, W.R.H. Perera, Barbara Sansoni, Vere de Mel, Kamini Vitharana and even a Buddhist monk from Balangoda. As the years passed many others, among them Dr. D.B. Sumithraarachchi, Nirmala de Mel, B.L. Perera, Prof. Sarath Kotagama, Ravi Algama and Channa Ekanayake, were very actively involved in Ruk Rakaganno’s activism that saw marches, protests, meetings on major threats from the Eppawela phosphate issue, the construction of Kandalama hotel and other thorny issues.
Celebrating 50 years at the Barefoot: Ruk Raks’ president Dushy Perera (third from left) and Iranganie (fifth from left). Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara.
Dominic Sansoni at the anniversary evening reminisced that his mother Barbara, founder of Barefoot, being part of this group “I have known Ruk Raks all my life,” while Ravibandu recalled his first encounter with “Iranganie Aunty” whom he first saw as an eight-year-old on stage at a production of Othello directed by Ernest Macintyre.
A noteworthy Ruk Rakaganno publication ‘Which Tree is That’, now updated and reprinted after 27 years was also released that evening with author Dr. Sriyanie Miththapala presenting it to Iranganie. The book, co-authored with her father P.A. Miththapala is now available in bookshops. Ninel Fernando, also a longtime Ruk Raks member presented Iranganie with a canvas bag she had designed for the 50th anniversary.
Senior environmental lawyer Ravi Algama remembers those early meetings often on the verandah of Iranganie’s Nawala home and the lobbying and advocacy that Ruk Raks members were involved in. In 1985, the society was registered as a charitable organization and in 1988, as a govt. approved charity.
Fifty years on, Ruk Raks’ mission to protect and nurture the country’s ecological heritage continues. And it is Sinharaja that is the focus of their current biggest drive – where a reforestation project is now beginning to thrive.
At the forefront: Kamini and Iranganie
The Suduwelipotha project covering 20 hectares of land was begun in 2020 by the indefatigable Kamini Vitharana (Iranganie’s sister), then President of Ruk Raks and to date 21,000 wet zone forest plants of 70 different species have been planted. Ruk Rakaganno’s current President Dushy Perera reflects that they won the goodwill of the community by setting up satellite nurseries, giving them the seeds and getting the villagers to grow the plants which Ruk Raks then bought back and planted to grow the forest. Having partnered with John Keells Hotels (Cinnamon Hotels Management Limited), their funding support ensures the implementation of the project which has now been granted an extension for another three years by the Forest Department. Ruk Rakaganno is now looking forward to signing an MoU with the WNPS to continue their planting at Suduwelipotha.
Ruk Raks also continues their links with the Popham Arboretum in Dambulla, nurtured by Britisher Sam Popham who after retirement from a long planting career, cleared the scrub jungle to facilitate the natural regeneration of the forest. Interestingly Popham’s simple dwelling at the arboretum was designed in the shape of an upturned boat, by none other than another legend- Geoffrey Bawa. The arboretum was managed for 15 years by the society until 2020, even gaining support from the President’s Fund to add more facilities.
Another Ruk Raks project – beekeeping – initially begun in Dankombuwa off Eheliyagoda is now being done at the arboretum with the Habarana villagers also being drawn in through the John Keells Foundation. The project will be strengthened by the smart bee boxes developed by Tharindu Ranasinhe and Akila Peiris from the Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences of the University of Colombo, under the supervision of Professor Mayuri Wijesinghe.
Compiling a database of the trees of Colombo, contributing to the Forest Department Plan, schools awareness projects, a plant nursery at Rummasala to give plants to villagers whose lands had been denuded by the tsunami, women’s empowerment projects in Balangoda were among Ruk Raks’ initiatives, made possible by generous support from many donors such as the Deutsche Bank, Bank of Ceylon, the Ford Foundation, the UNDP, NORAD and CIDA to mention a few.
And hopefully their efforts will reach further across the island if all goes well. With the Forest Department having offered Ruk Rakaganno 10 acres south of Trincomalee for a mangrove project and the initial feasibility study already done by Dr. Manoj Prasanna, they are now seeking an investor to take this step forward.
Purely driven by the commitment and enthusiasm of its committee and longtime members, both President Dushy Perera and Vice President, Prof. Shiranee Balasuriya are keenly conscious of the need to have more young people involved as Ruk Raks looks ahead. The photographic competition for the 50th anniversary thus had a special youth category. Tree walks at the Anglican Cathedral on Bauddhaloka Mawatha, and regular tree talks are also held get more people interested in the cause.
Early this year, Ruk Raks collaborating with the University of Kelaniya’s Zoology Society went to the foothills of Sinharaja to conduct the Siripa Aruna Biodiversity Awareness Programme for students at the Sri Pada Central College in Palabaddala Ratnapura, true to the vision of its founders ‘to carry out educational programmes especially among the young to demonstrate the value of the natural environment and why it is essential it be preserved.’
As the 1976 brochure succinctly put it: Trees Need You, You Need Trees’ – a crucial reminder in the current tide of the country of why organisations like Ruk Rakaganno’s work is as important today as it was fifty years ago.
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